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(No Model.)

Sheets-Sheet 1.

0.*E.IMA0ARTHY. Oar Coupling.

Patent'edlune 14,188I.l

f WITNBSSBS:I

llllllllUlllUl ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. Pham-Limegnphen wasnngxan. D, C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES E. MAOARTHY, OF FORSYTH, GEORGIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters :Patent No. 242,949, dated June 14, 1881.

Application filed April 25, 1881. (No model.)

Tonall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OHARLEs E. MAGAR- THY, of Forsyth, in the county of Monroe and State of Georgia, haveinvented anew and Improved Gar-Coupling; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,lclear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1` is a plan view of my improved carcoupling, showing two ends of a car' coupled, with the draw-bars broken out or in section. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, with the two drawbars in section. Fig. 3 is an end View of the draw-bar carrying the hook. Fig. 4t is a plan view of a modification of Fig. l, showing the hook operating in a vertical plane. Fig. 5 is an enlarged side, and Fig. 6 an end, view of the frame-.work carried by one of the cars, and to which `the verticallyworking hook of the opposite car is coupled. Fig. S is a vertical section of that draw-bar shown in Fig. 4, which carries the vertically-working hook. Figs. 7 and 9 show views of a modified form of the draw-bar for carrying the verticallyworking hook. This form of draw-bar is the one which is all made of iron, and in this view it is shown detached, Fig. 7 showing a bottom View, and Fig. 9 a side view turned upside down. Fig. l0 is a perspective view of a device for adapting my coupling to cars of different heights. l

My invention relates to an improved carcoupling, designed to couple the cars easily and securely by alever underthe car, and projecting at theside of the same, whereby all danger involved in going between the cars is avoided.

My invention consists in pivoting a hook in the draw-bar, and constructing the latterwitll one of its sides open or cut away at its front end, so as to give room for the hook When `thrown back to uncouple, and then combining the front of the draw-bar shall yield to the impactof the `other car, and shall alsodraw with an elastic connection. Springs for this purpose are already in use, and they may be used in connection with my coupling in any manner that the structure of the car or the convenience of application may render desirable. This draw-bar is provided with ahool, C, arranged, as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3,'upon a vertical axis, a3, and adapted to be thrown into the open side ofthe draw-bar from the tension of a spring, b. This hook, when arranged in a wooden draw-bar, will haveits axis in a longitudinal metal bar, D, ruiming down the center ofthe wooden draw-bar, and having a bearing against the rear end ot' said wooden drawbar; or, when a metal draw-bar is used, as hereinafter described, this hook will. be pivoted upon a bolt in the draw-bar itself. Y

Just at the back of the'hook C is `a sliding bar, E, running longitudinally at the open side of the draw-bar, and connected by a link, F, with a lever, G, which is arranged transversely to the car, and projects to the side of the saine. Through this linkami lever the bar E may be drawn backr in rear of the hook, to allow the spring to force the hook back; or said bar may be projected to the front end of the hook, to force the hook into its coupling position. The draw-bar B', with which this hook couples, is likewise made with its end cut away on one side, (see Fig. 1,) to allow the lateral introduction ofthe hook, and has a strong vertical bolt, c, around which the hook is projected to couple the cars. To hold the hook to this position against accidental disengagement the sliding bar E is, at its outer end, provided with a vertical cross-pin, d, and in the opposite draw-bar are formed, in line with these pins, grooves or channels c e, adapted to receive said pin. Now, when the cars approach each other to be coupled, at the moment ot contact between their draw-bars B and B the sliding bar E is moved quickly forward, and the end of the hook, which is thrown back fromv the action of the spring, is struck by the sliding bar E, which, acting like a cam, throws the hook around the coupling-bolt c of the other car. At the same time, also, the crosspins d d of the sliding bar enter the grooves e e ofthe opposite draw-bar and hold the hook locked around the coupling-bolt, so that it cannot become accidentally uncoupled from the motion of the car or the turning of curves; In the draw-bar carrying the sliding bar E are also formed grooves or channels, which receive the-cross-pius d when drawn back, as shown in Fig. 3.

Instead ot' using the cross-pins d and the grooves e for holding the hook to the couplingbolt c, Imay arrange on the end of bar E a stout leaf-spring for this purpose.

To prevent the bar E from joltin g back and releasing the hook from its coupling-bar I lock the lever Gr in its forward position, and for this purpose its end is made to extend through a slotted bar, H, as a guide, and a pivoted catch, I, acting from gravity or from the tension of a spring, is made to pass over and hold the lever forward whenever the sliding bar has been projected to couple the cars. As shown, the catch I acts from gravity, and has a stop, I2, to limit its downward movement.

As so far described I have only referred to that form of my invention in Which the coupling-hook works horizontally. I may, however, without departing from the principle of my invention, arrange it to work in a vertical plane, as shown in Figs. 4 to 8. In this case my devices are shown applied to the under side of the floor-timbers beneath independent bumpers J The same construction of hook C, Fig. 8, and its bar E, with cross-pins cl d, is,

however, preserved, and also the same principle of locking thc hook up to the couplingbolt. As, however, the hook, when in this position, drops down from gravity into the range of the sliding .bar E, no spring is needed for the hook. I prefer, however, to arrange a stop, K, to limit the upward movement of the hook and close in thc coupling-bolt when the hook is around the same. \Vhen using this modication of my invention the draw-bar B may be made of either wood or iron. When made of wood a groove is cutl in its under side, and the longitudinal metal bar to which the hook is attached has a bearin g against a spring are securely fastened to the timbers and bracerods of the car. A set-screw may also vbe used to adjust the 'tension ot' the springs.

The horizontal coupling-bolt, for coupling with the vertically-working hook, is shown at d. It is arranged in a metal frame-work depending from the car-floor, which frame-work is composed of bars a?, which are connected to the front cross-bar of the floor-timbers, and pass through the same in horizontal direction, and have a nut and a rubber spring at the back of said bar.` These bars az'hang down beneathzthe timbers, and carry between them the horizontal coupling-bolt d', which has tapering and detachable hubs on each side ot its middle to hold the hook in the center. lhese bars a? are then extended below this point and bent to form recesses b2, that receive plates c2, that contain the grooves that receive the cross-pin that holds the hook to the couplingbolt. To the lower ends of these metal bars a2 are arranged side braces, c2, and braces f2, which latter extend rearwardly to the second cross-bar of the door-timbers and are fastened to a bolt therein, with a rubber spring in front ot' said brace for an elastic bearing.

I have thus far described two principal modiications, in one of which the hook works horizontally, and in the other of which the hook works vertically, but from a pendent position up to the coupling-bolt. As a modification of this latter plan, I may arrange the hook to work in a vertical plane from a standing position downwardly upon the coupling, and when so arranged the sliding bar back of the hook should be loosely connected to the hook, so that when the sliding bar is drawn back it raises the hook to its open position. v

To adapt my invention to couple with different heights of cars, a detachable frame-work, O, Fig. 10, is bolted to the car-floor timbers, and this frame work has acoupling -bolt long enough to connect with cars of extreme variation, and beside this coupling-bolt is arranged the grooves ce, to receive the cross-pin d, and to adapt the cross-pin d to the vertical variation it is designed to be held in;the end of bar E adjustable by a set-screw, or otherwise.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is- 1. A car-coupling consisting of a hook connected to the draw-bar, a coupling-bolt arranged upon the other draw-bar, a sliding barl arranged at the back of the hook, and means, substantially as described, for operating the sliding bar to throw the hook into a locking position, as described.

2. A car-coupling consisting of a hook connected to the draw-bar, a coupling-bolt arranged upon the other draw-bar, and a sliding bar arranged at the back of the hook and having cross-pins adapted to enter grooves or channels in the opposite draw-bar, to throw the hook into locking position and hold it-there, as described.

3. A car-coupling consisting of a pair of IOO IIS

drew-bersl open upon one side, and having a. ment with a coupling-bolt, of a lever for oper-- hook pivoted on one of them` and a coupliugating said bar, and a, locking device for hold- 1o bolt fixed on the other, with grooves e elcoming said lever, substantially as described.

bined with the sliding bar E, having pins d d,

5 and arranged at the back of the hook, sub- G' E MAGARTHY stantially as and for the purpose described. Witnesses:

4. In a carooupling, the combination, With EDWD. W. BYRN,

a hook and arbar for throwing it into engage- SOLON O. KEMON. 

